The United States has hinted that following intense negotiation over the past 48 hours, leaders of warring factions of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to implement a nationwide ceasefire.
A statement by the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Monday disclosed that the ceasefire by the warring factions begins at midnight on April 24, and lasts for 72 hours.
As both sides of the warring factions continue to show little appetite for negotiations to end fighting that has killed hundreds of people in Sudan, the US urged the leaders of SAF and the rival RSF to immediately and fully uphold the ceasefire.
The statement read: “During this period, the United States urges the SAF and RSF to immediately and fully uphold the ceasefire.”
“To support a durable end to the fighting, the United States will coordinate with regional and international partners, and Sudanese civilian stakeholders, to assist in the creation of a committee to oversee the negotiation, conclusion, and implementation of a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements in Sudan.”
“We will continue to work with the Sudanese parties and our partners toward the shared goal of a return to civilian government in Sudan.”
It would be recalled that fighting erupted between SAF and RSF on April 15, 2023, and has killed at least 427 people, knocked out hospitals and other services, and turned residential areas into war zones.
Also recall that the U.S. Department of State had on April 21, 2023, suspended temporarily its operations at the US Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, after safely evacuating all U.S. personnel and their dependents under its security responsibility.
A statement by Secretary Blinken on the agency’s website read: “Suspending operations at one of our embassies is always a difficult decision, but the safety of our personnel is my first responsibility.
“I directed this temporary action due to the serious and growing security risks created by the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our Embassy personnel. I applaud the skill and professionalism of our team on the ground, U.S. military forces, and others across the government who carried out this evacuation mission.
“We will continue to assist Americans in Sudan in planning for their own safety and provide regular updates to U.S. citizens in the area. We will also continue to coordinate with our allies and partners as well as our local partners on efforts to ensure the safety of their personnel.”
